Ball-throwing machine.



J. A. MACLEOD & H. W. NOYES.

BALL THROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED .lULY l5|19l5.

1,182,024. Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON. D. r.

J. A. MA-cLEOD & H. W. NOYES.

BALL THROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1915.

Patented May 9,1916

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I Ina/67150215:

i srans r JAMES A. MAGLEOI), OF NEW HAVEN,.CO1\TNECTIGUT, AND HARRY W. NOYES, OF W'EST i HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

BALL-THROWING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed July 15, 1915. Serial No. 40,086.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES A. MAcLnoD, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, and HARRY W. Norns, residing at WVestI-Iaven, in the town of Orange, in said county and State, both citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Throwing Machines, of which the following is a specification, refer. ence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to a new and improved ball throwing machine, having for its object, among other things, toprovide a simple and eifective device for mechanically throwing a ball so that it may be delivered and travel substantially the same as a manuallythrown ball.

To these, and other ends, our invention consists in a ball throwing machine, having certain details of construction and combinations of parts,tas will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate like parts in the several figures, Figure l is an elevation of our improved device with the connecting elements between the lever and throwing mechanism broken; F g. 2 1s a fragmentary plan view of the lever mechanism; Fig. 3 isanenlarged sectional view of the parts taken upon line AB of Fig. '1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the parts taken upon line CD of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectionalview of the parts taken substantially upon line .EF of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly in section. of the cutsofl mechanism and the outer end of the throwing arm; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the frame, tray and throwing arm, taken upon line GH of Fig. 5 and F lgs.

8 and 9 are a planview and an elevation re-' spectively of amodified form of one feature of our 1111 611 01011. p

This mLOl11IlQJlS .deslgned, for the purpose of throwing a ball mechanically, with the. object that a batsman may stand and practice batting, or for amus'ement,fas desired, and it comprises mechanism for successively receiving one of a plurality of balls which are delivered to a throwing arm, and. then in a predetermined direction.

by manipulation of a lever they are thrown The mechanism, for purposes of description, is divided into two portions, the throwing mechanism and the lever mechanism. The latter consists of a base member 1, having a lever 2 pivotally connected therewith by a pintle 3, and provided with guide bars 4, preferably arranged so that one bar is upon each side of said lever; a fixed post 5, within which a pulley 6 is pivotally mounted; a slide bar having a pulley 8 rotatably mounted therein; and a connecting rod 9. pivotally secured at one end to the slide bar 7 and at the other end to the lever 2 by the link 10. The throwing mechanism consists essentially of a base member 11 having two substantially parallel standards 12 connected therewith, which are substantially T shape incross section (Fig. 4

Pivotally connected to the standards 12 near the base 11, upon the pintle 13, is the throwing arm 14, which is made of spring metal of varying thicknesses, this being preferably produced by securing several tempered steel sheets together, as is common with leaf springs, and terminates at its outer end in a cup 15, having a lateral containing finger 16 upon each side thereof.

The end of the arm 1 1 opposite to the cup 15 terminates in'the offset arm 26fora pur pose hereafter to be described.

Adjustably secured to the standards12, by the screws 17 that pass through any one of a plurality of holes 18 in said standards,

is the yoke 19,. upon which is pivotally 1 by the nuts 28. The arms 24 of the tension bar 22, upon which are mounted the rollers.

25, project laterally so as to engage, in one of their positions, the side bars of the yoke '19 (Fig. 41).

The relative position of the yoke 19, upon [the standards 12, is suchthat the tensionbar 22-,normally hangs substantially as shown in Fig. 1. Pivotally mounted between the standards 12 upon the pintle 27 is the rock lever 28, between the arms of which is the anti-friction roller .29 upon the pintle 30. Secured to said rock lever 28 is an arm 31, to which is secured one end of the flexible connection rod 32, which passes.

around the pulleys6 and 8 and is secured at, its other endto the eye 33 on the post 5.

nection 32 and as it rocks upon its pivot mounting .27 the roller 29 therein engages the offset arm 26 and moves the throwing.

arm l-i upon its pivot mounting 13 until it assumes substantially the position shown by broken lines in Fig. 1, at which time the cup 15 is in contact with the rollers upon the tension bar 22, the arms 2% of which are in engagement with the side bars of the yoke 19. Continued pressure of the rock lever 28* causes the intermediate portion of the throwing arm 1a to yield and assume a circular position until the cup 15 thereon passes under the rollers 25, at which time the throwing 21111114, being freedfrom any restraint, straightens itself out by reason of its spring construction and the ball, which at that time is in the cup member 15, is by reason thereof thrown with considerable force and travels in substantially the same manner as if it had been pitched manually. Just prior to this time the offset arm 26 has engaged the head 36 of the rod and lifted the counter-balance Weight'3 1, which, when the ball is delivered and the tension removed from the throwing arm, is actuated by gravity, and the throwing arm 14 is moved upon its pivot mounting in the reverse direction until gravity exerts its influence and returns it to the position substantially shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the lever 2 being moved, of course, at substantially the same time to permit thefiexible connection 32 to take up the slack caused by the movement of the lever 28.

As the throwing arm 14 moves from its throwing position to its down position, the cup 15 thereon engages therolls 25, causing the block 20 to swing upon the yoke 19, and permits said throwing arm to pass thereby without friction or impeding its progress.

t will be observed that by this method of mounting the tension bar 22, the movement of the throwing arm 14 is impeded only while moving in one direction. The relative position of the yoke 19 upon the standards 12 determines the direction and 'velocity of the ball as it isthrown, the holes 18 being provided to permit the desired range of both. 7

The halls are delivered to the cup 15 from eitherone or both of two chutes 37 which lead into a frame 38 fixed to the standards 12. i

In the drawings I have only shown frag-- any convenient point and lie in a vertical or angular position in relation to the other mechanism, as may be desired, or best adapted for the position of the device. Mounted in said frame 38 so as to rock upon the pintle 39 is a tray a0 having side plates t1 and adjacent to one end, which during their movement cover and uncover the recesses as and is respectively in opposite sides of the frame 38. The side plate 11 is higher than the side plate 12, this variation in height being designed so that the recess it may be entirely uncovered before the recess i3, whereby the chute 37 adjacent to the recess 1 1 will deliver its ball:

into the cup 15 and thereby load said cup without uncovering the recess 4K3, as will more particularly appear from an examination of Fig. 7 of the drawings. By this method all of the balls in one chute will be delivered to the cup member before those in the other chute can enter said cup member, thereby preventing the delivery of more than one ball at a time to said cup member and the consequent clogging of the mechanism.

Upon the tray 10 is a, counter-weight 1-5 which is adjustablv secured thereto by the bolt 5L6, which moves through a slotted recess 4L7 as said counter-weight 15 is moved toward and away from the pintle 39. This counter-weight is adjusted so as to rock the tray 40'and elevate the cup 15 of the throwing arm lhafter it has been loaded, to a point where the side plate a2 will close the recess 1'4: and prevent another ball from entering said cup. 7 As the throwing arm 1% moves to its down position the outer end; thereof engages the tray 10 and the 1111-. pact rocks the sameand a ball enters the cup 15, but the tray is immediately returned to its original position by the counter-balance 45, which lifts the throwing arm ls and the ball therein so as to prevent the lowerball of the stream of'balls in either one ofthe chutes 37 fromentering said cup. 1

In. Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a modified form of device for applying tension to the throwingarm 1- this being substituted for the yoke member 19 and the mechanism connected therewith. It consists essentially of the clamp plate 53 that is adjustably secured to the'standards 12 by the screws 18, and upon one of which is pivotally mounted the rock arm 49 upon the pintle 50, and having the stop finger 51 thereon. In one position the outer end of the rock arm 19 engages the lug 52 fixed to one of said clamp plates and provides a barrier against which the outer end of the throwing arm engages, but when moving in the opposite direction the rock arm 19 moves u on its pivot mount inn; until the linger 51 engages theflange on onset the standards 12, which limits its movement in that direction and permits the throwin arm to pass therebv. During the next upward movement of the throwing arm 14: the cup member 15 engages the rock arm 49 and moves it back to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 8, it then performing its retarding or tension function.

There are minor changes and alterations that can be made within my invention, and I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but claim all that falls fairly within the spirit and scope of my in vention.

l-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a ball throwing machine, the combination with a flexible throwing arm; of means for moving said throwing arm; and means for retarding the movement of said throwing arm at one end so as to cause the same to bow and pass thereby, said means comprising an adjustableelement having a member pivotally mounted thereon that permits movement of said throwing arm in one direction and forms a barrier or obstruction thereto while moving in the opposite direction. e e

2. In a ball throwing machine, the combination with a flexible throwing arm; of means for moving said throwing arm; means connected with said arm for holding and carrying a ball; means for delivering balls to said holding means that permits,

only one ball to enter at a time, and comprising a chute member, a fixed member with which said chute member is connected; a rocking cut-off member movably mounted in said fixed member; a counter-weight adjustably mounted thereon; and means for actuating said cut-off member so as to per mit a ball to pass from said chute into said holding and carrying means.

8. In a ball throwingmachine, the combination with a flexible throwing arm; of means for moving said throwing arm; means connected with said arm for holding and carrying a ball; means for delivering balls to said holding means that permits only one ball to enter at a time, and comprisi11 a chute member a fixed member with D 7 which said chute member is connected; a

rocking cut-ofl member having side plates of diflerent heighths; a counter-weight connected therewith; and means for actuating said cut-off member so that a ball will first move into said carrying member from the chute adjacent to the lowest of said sid plates.

4. In a ball throwing machine, the com-j bination with a flexible throwing arm; of means for moving said throwing arm; means connected with sald arm for holding and carrying a ball; means for delivering balls to said holding means, said means permitting only one ball to enter at a time, and comprising a fixed member to which said chute is connected; a tray pivotally mounted within said chute member, having a side plate upon each side thereof, one of said side plates being higher than the other; and a counter-weight connected with said cut-ofl member and designed to rock said tray and return the same to a predetermined position in relation to said chute member.

5. In a ball throwing machine, the combination with a flexible throwing arm; of means for moving said throwing arm; means connected with said throwing arm for holding and carrying a ball; means for delivering balls to said holding means, per mitting only one ball to enter at a time, and comprising a fixed member; companion chute members connected with both sides thereof; a cutoff member pivotally mounted in said fixed member and in the path of movement" a rock lever pivotally connected to said,

standard and having a member thereon movable in the path of said oifset arm; a lever pivotally connected with said standard having a head upon one end thereof in the path of, movement of said offset arm; a

counter-balance weight upon the other end of said lever; and means for actuating said standard and having a member thereon movable in the path of said oflset arm; a lever pivotally connected with said standard having a head upon one end thereof in the path of movement of said offest arm; a counter-balance weight upon the other end of said lever; means for actuating said rock lever; a manually actuated lever; and a 'con- 7 nection between said manually actuated lever and rock lever. V

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

JAMES A. MAcLEOD. HARRY w. NOYES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washing-tomb. 0." 

